ACADEMIC & RESEARCH INTEREST

I am interested in population ecology of large mammals, and effects of density dependence on population growth, movement patterns, habitat selection, and both inter- and intraspecific competition. I am also interested in community-level effects of population dynamics of large mammals, such as changes in plant growth, community structure, and trophic cascades.

AWARDS, HONORS, & PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

2012 Teacher of the Year Award College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources

Highways and Interstate freeways not only fragment movement corridors for wildlife, but result in property damage, injuries and sometimes fatalities for humans and increased mortality of wildlife from collisions with vehicles. Crossing structures for wildlife are an important tool to allow safe passage for wildlife across roadways. We documented use by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of overpasses and underpasses at 2 sites in eastern Nevada and evaluated their success for removing mule deer from U.S. Highway 93 (US 93). Our metrics to evaluate success included the number of animals that crossed each structure, passage rate (percentage of approaches that resulted in successful crossings) at each structure, and mortalities of mule deer on US 93 during migrations. We used a benefit-cost analysis of the wildlife overpass at 10-Mile Summit to determine the economic benefit of the structures. Crossing structures were immediately successful and mortalities declined with each subsequent migration although the number of deer that crossed the structures increased. Most of the deer that crossed US 93 crossed the overpass at 10-Mile Summit. Over the study period the total number of crossings increased at the overpasses and declined at the underpasses at both sites, shifting to more use of the overpasses. Passage rates were consistently greater at the overpasses across all migrations, regardless of site. Both types of structures proved to be successful for removing migratory ungulates from the roadway, and the benefit-cost analysis indicated that construction and maintenance of the overpass was beneficial. Therefore, the US 93 crossing structures succeeded in making roadways safer for both wildlife and motorists.